Preview | Preston North End v Swansea City
Swansea City will look to build on a positive showing and result against Blackburn Rovers when they face Preston North End at Deepdale tonight (7.45pm).
The Swans picked up three valuable points last time out, securing an emphatic 3-0 win over Rovers on home turf.
But caretaker head coach Alan Sheehan has warned his side they will face a very different assignment against a Preston side who have not lost at Deepdale since November 2.
The Lilywhites also saw off high-flying local rivals Burnley at the weekend to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Emirates FA Cup.
Team news
The Swans have Joe Allen back in contention following a calf injury, with Sheehan expecting to otherwise have the same group of players to choose from as for the win over Blackburn.
Kristian Pedersen is the only injury absentee for the Swans.
Pre-match views
Alan Sheehan: “We want to be a team that gets our fans excited.
"You can generate that excitement by winning, and we certainly want to be a winning team, and sometimes that can mean things look a little different.
"Ultimately we want to play in a way that matches the blueprint of modern football, which is fast, attacking football.
"It's not easy to do, particularly against different types of blocks, or when you come up against different systems and formations etc.
"There are different ways to attack, and we felt the way we played last time was the best way to attack Blackburn.
"This is a different test that will pose us different questions, but we still want to see that energy and positivity."
Paul Heckingbottom (speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire):
"If we perform like we did at the weekend we'll give Swansea a hard time.
"The challenge for all of us is to go and deliver the same type of performance and almost forget who we're up against, focus on ourselves to deliver our best game."
Meet the officials
Stephen Martin is the man in the middle for tonight's game.
You can find out more about the Staffordshire-born official and his team below.
Remember the last time?
Harrison Ashby’s first senior goal was not enough for Swansea City as Preston North End claimed all three points when the sides last met at Deepdale in August 2023.
Wing-back Ashby had finished off a superb sweeping move to fire Michael Duff’s side ahead in Lancashire, while Jay Fulton and Jamie Paterson would later go close to adding to Swansea’s tally.
However, Andrew Hughes would head in an equaliser before Duane Holmes smashed home the winner with 11 minutes to play.
Prime numbers
3 - Swansea's 3-0 win over Blackburn equalled their biggest of the season so far. It was the third time they had registered that scoreline, having done so against Preston and Queens Park Rangers earlier in the campaign.
9 - There have been no draws in the last nine meetings between the sides. Swansea have won five of those games to Preston's five.